Thursday, 11 October 2007

A little secret

Like many food lovers I have followed the rise of ethnically inspired ingredients such as Iranian fairy floss and pomegranate molasses. There is one seemingly undiscovered ingredient for which I have a particular fondness and it originates from the humble date; jaggery. With its treacle like consistency and toffee coloured appearance it is heavenly as an alternative to maple syrup drizzled over pancakes. It also makes the perfect adult’s sundae when poured generously over scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Deliciously sticky jaggery has a complexity of flavour to which its syrupy cousins can only aspire. It lacks the cloying sweetness of other sugars and is instead seemingly infused with an aroma of dates. This delightful syrup will always have your reaching for seconds.

Although jaggery can be derived from both sugarcane and the sap of the date palm tree, it is the latter that is a delicacy across India, particularly during the winter months when it is widely used. Also known as gur, it comes in the form of a semi-spherical block that must be melted down to a caramel consistency. Once in this form it is traditionally used in rice puddings and milk based confections. In Australia and other countries it's imported and available at many Indian and Sri Lankan grocers.

While most commonly found in recipes derived from the subcontinent, this syrup is also ideal to add a depth of flavour anywhere you would use maple or golden syrup or caramel. I’ve chosen to pair it with some particularly plump dates to echo the flavours in the jaggery. The dates are baked in individual moist almond cakes that are later drenched with the jaggery and smothered with crushed pistachios. The cake has a deliciously crunchy crust and the lightest golden crumb within, perfect for soaking up syrup. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a rose water infused cream, it’s luxurious enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a sinful solitary indulgence.

Note: If you buy your jaggery in the solid form, the melting process is simple. There are many ways to do it but I find the easiest is to place the jaggery in a pot with a few spoons of water over a low heat. It will melt down quickly and it's then up to you what stage of thickness you desire. For this recipe I've stopped at a syrupy consistency.

Preheat your oven to 180C and lightly butter two individual ramekins. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually incorporate the egg and combine well. Stir through the almond meal, flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly pour in the milk until your reach a smooth consistency. You may find you don’t require the full amount.

Pour the batter into the greased ramekins and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Invert the cakes onto a rack and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle slice off the tops to form a level base suitable for plating. Place the individual cakes upside down on serving plates. Re-heat your liquid jaggery until you have a hot syrup. Spoon the jaggery over the cakes while still warm and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Serve with ice cream or rose water scented cream.

Hi Truffle, I bought this stuff by accident thinking it had dates in syrup (not date syrup) which I had planned to use in my sticky date. I still used the syrup in the sticky date but had to add the dates myself. I LOVE your recipe and the presentation is superb!! Vida x

Truffle, I bought it at the fruit shop in Glen Eira Road, it was on the shelf above the counter so I could not read the label on the jar properly. Yours must seem really weird and I have not seen it in solid form. Vida x

MyKitchenInHalfCups - thanks so much! It is quite seasonal but should be available in Indian and Sri Lankan grocers.

Vida- in the hard form it's a bit like a caramel coloured solid. You'd have no idea it would melt down to toffee consistency. So glad you put it to good use!

Dana - I'd heard of but never cooked with it myself until this year! It is seasonal and more readily available in the Northern Hemisphere winter. I'm sure they'd be importing it to the States if they are to Australia. Try a few Indian grocers and good luck!

SteamyKitchen - Iranian fairy floss makes a gorgeous garnish but if I had to pick one new ingredient it would be the jaggery because it has so many uses!

Kalyn - thanks so much for hosting and creating such a wonderful event!

Oh, wow! What a delightful little cake! And the jaggery sounds so delicious, and right up my alley. The perils of living in a small town include not being able to find such wonderful treats, unfortunately. Anything remotely "exotic" requires jumping through hoops and numerous treasure hunts to track down! :-)

Anonymous - Thanks very much for the kind words! I have been thinking of late that I should invest in a better camera but I just love having something slim enough to fit into any handbag so I'm glad you like the photos!

One of the fun things about blogging is making a new discovery!!! I have never heard of jaggery, but in true blogger fashion I will probably hear a lot about it in the following months. I haven't seen it here in Canada but that doesn't mean I won't. Just not yet!!

My first taste of jaggery came at breakfast in Sri Lanka 12 years ago, with a heavenly bowl of fresh buffalo curds drizzled with the syrup. I love cooking with it and putting it in Sri Lankan dishes like Love Cake. My Godson is half Sri Lankan and I always look forward to the family get-togethers where his grandmother makes Sri Lankan desserts..mmm!

On fairy floss I discovered three things. Don't dress a cake with it too early as it will disintegrate by the time you serve it. Don't dress a hot dessert with it, as it will disappear. And use it within a few days of opening the bag as even in an air tight container it can go rock hard.

Truffle, I've just discovered your blog through Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging. Your recipe and photo here are fabulous, and even though I try to avoid sugar, I'm going to have to make this beautiful little cake.For those who are looking for jaggery in the US, Kalustyan's has two kinds listed here: Kalustyan'sHope this helps.

Peter - so lovely to find another fig and date lover. I'm addicted to both.

Sharona- they are expensive but I just love those colours. I think they're the most beautiful nuts!

Christine- thanks so much for popping by! I'm glad you like the look of it and thanks for the link! The type they are selling is the other kind, the one derived from cane sugar. It is more like a traditional sugar syrup and although the taste is different, it will certainly do the trick!

This sounds very sinful! Especially the jaggery date sauce. I actually thought the rose was a dollop of ice cream! How silly of me. Took a second look before I realised it was a white rose. Love the presentation with the pistachios and the rose though. :)

I bought myself two packages of jaggery and plan to use it like the precious commodity it is. Have you ever tried the Thai Palm Sugar? If you haven't do try and get your hands on some. It is every bit as exotic and tasty as the jaggery.

That cake looks gorgeous - might have to try a gluten free version. We have date syrup in the uk, which is liquid version of jaggery I guess - no cane sugar in it anyway. My son often wonders what he will have on his porridge in the morning, date syrup, or maple syrup?